1. Technical Field
The present invention is generally directed to tires including passenger tires, light truck tires, truck and bus tires, racing tires, and temporary spare tires, and more particularly to an improved tire of multiple plate construction. Specifically, the present invention is an improved tire manufactured using a multiple link tire belt design made of flat plate or plates curved to conform to the radius of the desired tire where the plates are linked or otherwise connected together thereby creating a flexible ring that is extremely stiff in the in-plane torsional direction but flexible in the radial direction.
2. Background Information
With the advent and rapid expansion of automobiles and other vehicles in the late nineteenth and all of the twentieth century, the use and importance of tires as the means of contact between the automobile and the road has grown. This is particularly true as the speeds at which vehicles are operated has risen and continues to rise. In addition, today's varying road designs and conditions make the tire and its construction, expected life span, and properties of critical importance.
Numerous tire designs both patented and not patented are well known in the art and have been for almost one hundred years. Generally, tires include various chemicals compounded into the natural or synthetic rubber resulting in a continuous rubber compound that encircles a rim of a wheel where the rubber compound is able to withstand heightened wear and heat as well as aging. Fabric such as rayon, nylon, or polyester are also often used to give the tire body added strength and resilience. This fabric when layered under the tread rubber will also increase mileage and improve handling. A steel wire is used in the bead area to hold the tire to the rim.
Generally, the rubber compound making up the tire has two parts, namely the tread section and the body section. The tread section is the outer face which contacts with the road and therefor should preferably provide the highest levels of traction possible while also resisting wear and abrasion from the road contact. The body section fills out the remainder of the tire and is required to provide the necessary tire strength and flexibility.
Three overall types of tires are principally known, namely the bias type tire, the belted bias type tire, and the radial tire. All three types use successive plies consisting of cords of steel wires applied along a specific configuration.
Specifically, bias tires have typically two or more plies of cords. These plies of cord extend diagonally across the tire from bead to bead. The cords run diagonally in opposite directions in each successive ply. A treaded rubber outer covering envelopes the plies.
Belted bias tires use the same ply technology as biased tires except belts of material are inserted in between the layers. Specifically, the belts of material are circumferentially aligned around the tire in between the plies and the treaded rubber outer covering.
Radial tires differ significantly from the bias tires because the cords do not extend diagonally and instead extend transversely from bead to bead. This transverse extension of the cords in each ply is such that the cords are substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel. Belts of material are then placed circumferentially around the tire.
Overall, the today's tire designs typically involve tires made of two ply belts where each belt is made of steel wires. It is well known that an additional ply may be added to provide better cornering. One alternative design also known in the art involves using circumferentially continuous banded belts to define the tire.
Other tire designs include plates added into the rubber compound to protect the tire against puncture. It has also been found that these plates minimize friction between different plies and thus reduce heat in the tire.
Some examples of prior art tires containing internal reinforcements extending in an annular fashion circumferentially around the tire beneath the tread area are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 500,468; 559,987; 560,196; 939,611; 1,481,488; 1,482,217; 2,160,219; 3,640,329 and 4,456,048.
However, all of these known designs lack the combination of sufficient stiffness in the in-plane torsional direction as needed for enhanced cornering coupled with sufficient softness for radial and out of plane bending deformations as needed for a good ride.